Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dark San Remo Runner’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Dark San Remo Runner’, characterized by its uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; freely flowering habit; large decorative-type inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets; long flowering period; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DARK SAN REMO RUNNER’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Bronze San Remo Runner’

Applicant: Luc Remi Pieters

Filed: Concurrently with this application

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dark San Remo Runner’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘San Remo Runner’, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘San Remo Runner’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Staden-Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in October, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Staden-Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in February, 2008. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dark San Remo Runner’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dark San Remo Runner’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant         habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large decorative-type inflorescences with red purple-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the mutation parent, ‘San Remo Runner’, in ray floret color as plants of ‘San Remo Runner’ have dark pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Tardel’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Staden-Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Tardel’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of ‘Tardel’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had decorative type         inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Tardel’ had daisy type         inflorescences.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Tardel’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Tardel’ had yellow-colored ray         florets.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not susceptible to Rust         pathogens whereas plants of ‘Tardel’ were susceptible to Rust         pathogens.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Bronze San Remo Runner’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Staden-Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Bronze San Remo Runner’ in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dark San Remo Runner’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet are close-up views of the upper and lower surfaces of typical inflorescences (left) of ‘Dark San Remo Runner’ and upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves (right) of ‘Dark San Remo Runner’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer and autumn in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Staden-Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 15° C. Plants were 5.5 months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dark San Remo     Runner’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of     Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘San Remo Runner’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at             temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days             at temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial Chrysanthemum with decorative type             inflorescences; stems upright and outwardly spreading giving             a uniformly rounded appearance to the plant; very freely             branching habit with about 40 lateral branches developing             per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and full plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 37.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 66 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 2.3 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect:             Lateral branches positioned about 37.5° from the main stem.             Texture: Densely pubescent; longitudinally ridged.. Color:             Close to 197A tinged with close to 177A to 177B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             4.1 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Roughly ovate,             three-lobed. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately             lobed and coarsely dentate, sinuses between lateral lobes             divergent to parallel. Texture, upper surface: Moderately             pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137B to N137C. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 137A to 137B; venation, close to 146B.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, close to 146A to 146B. Petiole: Length: About             5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative inflorescence form; inflorescences             borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc and ray florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Long flowering period; under natural             season conditions, plants flower continuously from             mid-September to late October in Belgium.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences not persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 25 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch; about 1,000 inflorescences per plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Shape: Broadly ovate. Color: Close to 138A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 3 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 145B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape:             Narrowly obovate to oblong. Apex: Obtuse to emarginate.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: About 65° from             vertical. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 100. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 64A; at the base, close to 150C. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 64B; at the base, close to             150C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 64A; at the             base, close to 150C; color does not change with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 70B; at the base,             close to 150C; color does not change with development.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Tubular, filiform; apices narrowly acute. Texture,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of disc             florets per inflorescence: About 50 massed at the center of             the inflorescence. Color, immature: Close to 187A; at the             base, close to 145B. Color, mature: Close to 187A; at the             base, close to 145B.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 24             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 143C; margins, close to N199B. Color,             lower surface: Close to 138A; margins, close to N199B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 6.7 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 11.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.             Aspect: Erect to about 40° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 148B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Present only on ray florets. Quantity: One pistil per             floret. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Style length: About 4 mm.             Style color: Close to N144B. Stigma shape: Cleft, decurrent.             Stigma color: Close to 9C. Ovary color: Close to 144C to             144D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to not be susceptible to Rust pathogens. Resistance to     pests and other pathogens common to Chrysanthemums has not been     observed on plants grown under commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance, are hardy to USDA     Hardiness Zones 7 to 8 and will tolerate high temperatures of about     35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dark San Remo Runner’ as illustrated and described. 